IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/jecfin/v45y2021i3d10.1007_s12197-020-09536-2.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Determinants of defined-contribution corporate pension adoptions in Japan

Author

Listed:
  • Yutaka Horiba

    (Tulane University)

  • Kazuo Yoshida

    (Nagoya City University)

Abstract

Traditional Japanese corporate pension plans with defined benefits (DB) have been saddled with serious underfunding difficulties since the major stock market crash of the early 1990s. An alternative defined-contribution (DC) plan circumvents the underfunding problem by linking the benefit payout to the market valuation of pension obligations. This paper examines a comprehensive set of Japanese corporations listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange as to the factors that led to their decision to adopt a DC plan during the period 2001–2015. Our findings point to the relevance of several unique aspects and features of Japanese regulations as well as business practices, in stark contrast to some of the findings reported in the literature focusing on U.S. corporations.

Suggested Citation

  • Yutaka Horiba & Kazuo Yoshida, 2021. "Determinants of defined-contribution corporate pension adoptions in Japan," Journal of Economics and Finance, Springer;Academy of Economics and Finance, vol. 45(3), pages 486-503, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:45:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s12197-020-09536-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s12197-020-09536-2
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12197-020-09536-2
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12197-020-09536-2?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kandice Kapinos, 2009. "On the Determinants of Defined Benefit Pension Plan Conversions," Journal of Economic Interaction and Coordination, Springer;Society for Economic Science with Heterogeneous Interacting Agents, vol. 30(2), pages 149-167, June.
    2. Dorsey, Stuart, 1987. "The Economic Functions of Private Pensions: An Empirical Analysis," Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 5(4), pages 171-189, October.
    3. Takeo Hoshi & Anil Kashyap & David Scharfstein, 1991. "Corporate Structure, Liquidity, and Investment: Evidence from Japanese Industrial Groups," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 106(1), pages 33-60.
    4. Francis, Jere R. & Reiter, Sara Ann, 1987. "Determinants of corporate pension funding strategy," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 9(1), pages 35-59, April.
    5. Kandice Kapinos, 2012. "Changes in Firm Pension Policy: Trends Away from Traditional Defined Benefit Plans," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 91-103, March.
    6. Ippolito, Richard A, 1985. "The Labor Contract and True Economic Pension Liabilities," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(5), pages 1031-1043, December.
    7. Kandice Kapinos, 2009. "On the Determinants of Defined Benefit Pension Plan Conversions," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 30(2), pages 149-167, June.
    8. Stone, Mary, 1991. "Firm financial stress and pension plan continuation/replacement decisions," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 10(3), pages 175-206.
    9. Feldstein, Martin & Seligman, Stephanie, 1981. "Pension Funding, Share Prices, and National Savings," Journal of Finance, American Finance Association, vol. 36(4), pages 801-824, September.
    10. Ippolito, Richard A, 1985. "The Economic Function of Underfunded Pension Plans," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 28(3), pages 611-651, October.
    11. Thomas, Jacob K., 1989. "Why do firms terminate their overfunded pension plans?," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 361-398, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kazuo Yoshida & Yutaka Horiba, 2012. "Determinants of Defined-Contribution Japanese Corporate Pension Coverage," The Japanese Accounting Review, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, vol. 2, pages 33-47, December.
    2. Horiba, Yutaka & Yoshida, Kazuo, 2002. "Determinants of Japanese corporate pension coverage," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(5), pages 537-555.
    3. Kun Yu, 2016. "Excess of the PBO over the ABO and hard pension freezes," Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting, Springer, vol. 46(4), pages 819-846, May.
    4. Kandice Kapinos, 2012. "Changes in Firm Pension Policy: Trends Away from Traditional Defined Benefit Plans," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 33(1), pages 91-103, March.
    5. Kandice Kapinos, 2011. "Changes in Firm Pension Policy: Trends Away from Traditional Defined Benefit Plans," Working Papers 11-36, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    6. Cooper, Russell W. & Ross, Thomas W., 2001. "Pensions: theories of underfunding," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 8(6), pages 667-689, December.
    7. Guohui Guan & Zongxia Liang & Yi Xia, 2023. "Optimal management of DB pension fund under both underfunded and overfunded cases," Papers 2302.08731, arXiv.org.
    8. Paul Klumpes & Mark Whittington & Yong Li, 2009. "Determinants of the Pension Curtailment Decisions of UK Firms," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(7‐8), pages 899-924, September.
    9. Rauh, Joshua D. & Stefanescu, Irina & Zeldes, Stephen P., 2020. "Cost saving and the freezing of corporate pension plans," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    10. John Forker, 2003. "Discussion of Determinants of Actuarial Valuation Method Changes for Pension Funding and Reporting: Evidence from the UK," Journal of Business Finance & Accounting, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(1‐2), pages 205-211, January.
    11. Paul Klumpes, 2000. "Incentives and disincentives for voluntary disclosure by pension funds: international evidence," Accounting and Business Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(4), pages 287-298.
    12. Jullavut Kittiakaraskun & Yiuman Tse & George H.K. Wang, 2011. "The Impact of Trading Activity by Trader Types on Asymmetric Volatility in Nasdaq-100 Index Futures," Working Papers 0021, College of Business, University of Texas at San Antonio.
    13. Takashi Obinata, 2000. "Choice of Pension Discount Rate in Financial Accounting adn Stock Prices," CIRJE F-Series CIRJE-F-82, CIRJE, Faculty of Economics, University of Tokyo.
    14. Atanasova, Christina & Hrazdil, Karel, 2010. "Why do healthy firms freeze their defined-benefit pension plans?," Global Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 293-303.
    15. Paul J. M. Klumpes & Kevin McMeeking, 2007. "Stock Market Sensitivity to U.K. Firms' Pension Discounting Assumptions," Risk Management and Insurance Review, American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 10(2), pages 221-246, September.
    16. Randy Jorgensen & Tirimba Obonyo & John R. Wingender, 2024. "De-risking pension plans: the impact on firm value from lump-sum buyouts," Risk Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 26(3), pages 1-19, September.
    17. Duygun, Meryem & Huang, Bihong & Qian, Xiaolin & Tam, Lewis H.K., 2018. "Corporate pension plans and investment choices: Bargaining or conforming?," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 519-537.
    18. Webb, David C., 2004. "Sponsoring company finance and investment and defined benefit pension scheme deficits," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 24699, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    19. Johnson, Richard W., 1997. "Pension Underfunding and Liberal Retirement Benefits Among State and Local Government Workers," National Tax Journal, National Tax Association, vol. 50(1), pages 113-42, March.
    20. Joshua D. Rauh & Irina Stefanescu & Stephen P. Zeldes, 2020. "Cost Saving and the Freezing of Corporate Pension Plans," NBER Working Papers 27251, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Japanese corporate pension; Defined contribution; Empirical study;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • G14 - Financial Economics - - General Financial Markets - - - Information and Market Efficiency; Event Studies; Insider Trading
    • G20 - Financial Economics - - Financial Institutions and Services - - - General
    • G30 - Financial Economics - - Corporate Finance and Governance - - - General

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:jecfin:v:45:y:2021:i:3:d:10.1007_s12197-020-09536-2. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.